The Allure of the Seas launched in 2010 and has room for 5,400 passengers.

Tonnage: 225,282

Berths (Double Occupancy/Max.): 5,400/6,360

The 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas builds on the blueprint introduced by its revolutionary older sister, Oasis of the Seas. Both ships feature unique-to-cruising offerings like zip-lining, a plant-filled “Central Park” and a handmade wooden carousel, but Allure added twists of its own, including cruising’s first Starbucks, characters from the DreamWorks army and the Broadway show “Chicago.”

The Norwegian Epic sails past the Statue of Liberty on her maiden voyage July 1, 2010, in New York Harbor.

Tonnage: 155,873

Berths (Double Occupancy/Max.): 4,100/5,226

Launched in summer 2010, Epic broke the mold in numerous ways, most notably its game-changing Studio staterooms (geared toward solo travelers), its multitude of entertainment options (including Blue Man Group) and controversial translucent bathrooms (alas, you can see right through the smoked glass). Add in more than 20 restaurants, a giant waterpark and one of cruising’s largest spas, and the ship lives up to its name.

Carnival Magic, which launched on May 1, 2011, features an onboard waterpark.

Tonnage: 130,000

Berths (Double Occupancy/Max.): 3,690/4,724

From its exclusive Thirsty Frog Red beer to cruising’s first ropes course, the buzz started early on Carnival Magic — the newest addition to the line’s fleet — and has only grown. As a measure of its success, several of the concepts introduced on Magic are spreading to other Carnival ships, including the family-style Cucina del Capitano Italian eatery and the RedFrog Pub (and its iconic suds).

When it debuted in 2009, Oasis of the Seas was considered the world’s largest cruise ship.

Tonnage: 225,282

Berths (Double Occupancy/Max.): 5,400/6,296

Oasis of the Seas launched in 2009 as the largest and most innovative cruise ship ever built. In addition to debuting numerous at-sea “firsts,” including an breathtaking outdoor AquaTheater, Oasis represents a revolution in ship design. An open-air corridor carved out along the length of the massive ship creates space for a tropical foliage- and restaurant-filled Central Park and Coney Island-style Boardwalk “neighborhood.”

Arguably the most beautiful mega-ship at sea, Celebrity Solstice earns high marks for its whimsical restaurants, trendy lounges and glass-and-light-filled spaces. But Solstice’s most buzzworthy feature has to be its Lawn Club, a top-ship green space where passengers can play bocce, watch a glass-blowing demonstration and simply feel freshly cut grass between their toes.

Who’s to argue with a ship boasting something called the AquaDuck? Disney’s first new vessel in more than a decade, Disney Dream set sail in early 2011 and continues the company’s signature “ocean liner” look, complete with cruising’s first “watercoaster” (i.e., the AquaDuck), an entire deck devoted to youths and the French eatery Remy — at $75 a head, the most expensive for-fee restaurant on a cruise ship.